The traditional games of chess and checkers are well known in the art, and are played on a game board having 64 squares arranged in eight rows of eight squares each, alternate squares being of two contrasting colors. Games played on such boards are generally restricted to two players. In an attempt to enhance the play of the game, and specifically in order to accommodate three or four players, numerous alternative game board designs have been conceived. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,666 shows a four-player chess game including a board having a main playing area made from a square matrix of eight-by-eight alternately colored playing spaces with two additional rows of eight alternately colored playing spaces adjacent each side of the main playing area. The game is played by placing each player's set of playing pieces on the game board so that each different set occupies two rows adjacent one side of the main playing area in a conventional chess arrangement. U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,349 defines a chess game for play by two, three, or four persons, which is played according to conventional rules of play. The game is played on a checkerboard having two hundred eight playing squares arranged in a central playing array of twelve bilaterally arranged rows having twelve squares per row and bordered by four smaller staging arrays, each of the staging arrays having eight bilaterally arranged rows of two squares per row. The players may play as individuals, or they may play as partners. U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,741 depicts a board for three player draughts and the like. The board is of hexagonal shape with a three-sided blocking area in the center. The board is divided into three equal territories. Three opposed sides of the board are bounded by "a" fields and the three other opposing sides by "b" fields, so as to form a pattern of 3.times.1/2a.times.b substantially rectangular fields of equal size. U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,254 discloses a "double-chess" board game for the playing of partnership chess by four participants. The playing area of the board is 8-sided, being bounded by four straight sides alternated with four curved sides formed by quarter circles. A symmetrical checkered pattern of 120 four-sided and 8 five-sided playing spaces is provided on which four standard sets of 16 chess pieces are placed. An octagonal space or gate is located at the center of the board. U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,578 comprises a chess board and pieces for play by four persons. The chess board has a "central field" of 8.times.8 squares. Sixteen diagonally disposed squares in the central field are called "combat bases", and extending from each side of the central field is an 8.times.4 squares "domain" for each player. U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,065 consists of a three-player chess game apparatus. The game apparatus consists of a hexagonal, planar board comprising a plurality of equi-dimensional, contiguous, uniformly distributed hexagonal playing spaces thereon and three sets of chessmen adapted to be disposed on the board and to be moved thereover in accordance with the rules of the game. U.S. Pat. No. 3,652,091 describes a three player chess board. The board is in the shape of a hexagon and is divided by transverse and longitudinal lines into three discrete territories, each of which territories includes 32 play spaces. U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,627 includes a three player chess board wherein each of the three players may simultaneously compete against the other two. The board is in the shape of a six-sided polygon of which three relatively long side alternate with three relatively short sides, and in which the relatively short sides are 3/7 of the length of the relatively long sides. U.S. Pat. No. 521,737 shows a six-sided game board having five playing spaces per side. The board is utilized to play a game different from chess. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 241,358 defines a chess game board designed for four players. The board has 192 squares. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 231,848 depicts a three player chess board. G.B. Patent 1,576,313 discloses a board for playing games normally played on a chess board. The board has 128 squares and allows play with four players. Eight curvilinear sides are provided, the odd sides marked with eight home squares of alternating light and dark color. The remainder of the board is marked with curvilinear lines of "squares" connecting home squares on adjacent sides. French Patent 2,504,811 comprises a board game for four players having 128 squares arranged in octagon or star shape. The central part of the board has 8 quadrilateral identical squares arranged in a regular star around the center. French Patent 335,792 describes a six-sided game board which can accommodate three players. German Patent 2,406,462 consists of a chess game for three persons having a board with triangular or polygonal zones, and a number of usual chess pieces per player. Each of the players have at least one additional piece at their disposal.
The present invention is directed to a game board for chess, checkers, and the like. The game board disclosed herein comprises a family of game boards having any number of sides "m", where m is four or greater. The game board employs a unique geometric principle, wherein each side of the board contains seven edge stations (playing squares) rather than the conventional eight normally used in chess or checkers. In counterclockwise order the seven edge stations are designated e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6, and e7. Edge station e1 is common with edge station e7 of the first adjacent side on the left (as viewed by a player), and edge station e7 is common with edge station e1 of the first adjacent side on the right.
Each side of the game board further includes seven first interior stations, designated f1 through f7, inwardly disposed adjacent to the seven edge stations, and seven second interior stations, designated s1 through s7, inwardly disposed adjacent to the seven first interior stations. That is, three ranks of stations emanate from each side of the game board. A central area is formed by the middle second interior stations.
The use of seven edge stations on each board side results in a board layout which permits all chess pieces, except one of the bishops, to enter into or pass over the central area, while simultaneously allowing the convenient placement of the chess pieces along one side of the board in an initial game position. No other number of edge stations exhibits these two properties. The odd number of edge stations positions the middle edge station in the middle of the side and thereby creates a straight line column across the central area to the middle edge station on the other side. In order to accommodate the one square reduction from eight to seven, the king and queen initially both occupy the middle edge station e4. Further, in order to have one bishop of each color, the order of the knights and bishops on the left side of the king and queen is reversed from that on the right side of the king and queen.
The game board can be used to play chess with only minor variations from the conventional rules of play. The game board can also be used to play checkers.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the game board has at least four sides. Seven edge stations are arranged in a rank along each of the sides. Seven first interior stations are arranged in a rank adjacent to and inward of the seven edge stations, and seven second interior stations are arranged in a rank adjacent to and inward of the seven first interior stations. A central area is formed by the middle stations of the second interior stations. The stations and central area of the game board are of alternating contrasting colors in a checkerboard pattern.
In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, the sides of the game board have a concave curvilinear shape.
In accordance with an important feature of the invention, each edge, first interior, and second interior station has a curvilinear quadrilateral shape.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention, chess pieces occupy the seven designated edge stations as follows;
e1--a first castle (rook); PA1 e2--a first bishop; PA1 e3--a first knight; PA1 e4--a king, and a queen; PA1 e5--a second bishop; PA1 e6--a second knight, and PA1 e7--a second castle.
In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, the game board has six sides, is substantially hexagonal in shape, has a substantially hexagonal central area, and can accommodate either two or three players.
In accordance with an important feature of the invention, the game board has eight sides, is substantially octagonal in shape, has a substantially octagonal central area, and can accommodate four players.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.